75.86% voter turnout in first phase of panchayat polls in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: An average voter turnout of 75.86 per cent was recorded in the first phase of panchayat elections in Chhattisgarh on Monday after votes were cast amid tight security, a poll official said.

The final voting percentage may go up as this is a provisional figure, he said.

"The voting process was by and large peaceful in all polling stations. As per preliminary information, 75.86 voter turnout was recorded in the first phase. However, final voting figures from many polling booths are yet to be received," he said.

Voting was held through ballot papers in 53 development blocks across all 33 districts, including from 6.45 AM to 2 PM in seven districts of the Bastar division due to Naxal threat, and from 7 AM to 3 PM elsewhere.

The panchayat or local self-government elections in the state are held at three levels-- Gram Panchayat (village), Janpad Panchayat (block) and Zila Panchayat (district).

Panchayat polls are not held on party lines.

Altogether, 57,99,660 voters, including 28,70,859 men, 29,28,751 women and 50 belonging to the third-gender category, exercised their franchise in the first phase to elect 27,210 ward panchs, 3,605 sarpanchs, 911 janpad panchayat members and 149 posts of Zila panchayat members, the poll official said.

He said 9,873 polling stations were set up in the first phase.

A total of 60,203 candidates were in the fray for the post of ward panch, 14,646 for sarpanch, 4,587 for Janpad Panchayat members, and 702 for Zila Panchayat members, the official said.

The second and third phases of polling are scheduled for February 20 and February 23.

Counting will be held in respective polling booths soon after the votes are cast in each phase, he said.

Tabulation and election results for the posts of ward panch, sarpanch and janpad panchayat members will be announced at the block level on February 19 for the first phase, and on February 22 and 25 for the subsequent two phases.

Similarly, tabulation and results of the Zila Panchayat members will be conducted at the district headquarters on February 20, February 23, and February 25 for the first, second, and third phases, respectively.

In the recently held urban body elections in Chhattisgarh, the BJP registered a landslide victory and won elections to a majority of civic bodies. The saffron party won mayor posts in all ten municipal corporations.

Of the chairperson posts in 49 municipal councils, BJP won 35, Congress 8, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 1, while independent candidates grabbed five.

Similarly, BJP bagged chairperson posts in 81 of 114 nagar panchayats, Congress in 22, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in one and independents in 10.

Of the total 3,200 posts of ward corporators, BJP won 1,868, Congress 952 and other parties and independents 380.